The Osun State Government has been urged to address the shortage of teachers and other challenges confronting African Church Secondary Grammar School, Idi-Olo, Ikirun, as the institution marked its 50th anniversary with the unveiling of a ₦50 million perimeter fencing project.
The Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi, performed the flag-off of the project on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, during the school’s golden jubilee celebration, attended by old students, community leaders and other stakeholders.
The perimeter fencing initiative, according to the President of the Old Students’ Association, Pastor Adeyemi Ojedapo, was designed to address security concerns and prevent possible encroachment on the school’s property.
Ojedapo explained that the absence of a perimeter fence had allowed unrestricted movement of people through the school compound, as residents of neighbouring communities often used the premises as a passage.
He said the development had become a major concern for the association, particularly because of its implications for students’ safety and parents’ confidence in the institution.
“We have made it a point of duty that fencing should be the number one priority of the school. Most parents will not want to send their children to a place where security is not guaranteed,” he said.
The association’s president disclosed that the project would gulp at least ₦50 million, adding that the initiative was part of efforts to restore the school’s infrastructure and make it more attractive to prospective students.
He also announced an academic intervention programme through which old students who had distinguished themselves in various professions, including engineering and medicine, would return to mentor students and assist them in subjects requiring additional attention.
However, Ojedapo appealed to Adewusi to assist the school in tackling its shortage of teachers, noting that the alumni association had members occupying strategic positions who could contribute to finding lasting solutions to the challenge.
Responding, the Deputy Governor praised the old students for sustaining their relationship with the institution and choosing its 50th anniversary as an opportunity to contribute to its development.
He described the celebration as a worthwhile initiative, noting that its greatest significance lay in the benefits it would bring to the younger generation.
“For our fathers and mothers here to deem it fit to come together to celebrate the 50th Founder’s Day of this school is something that we ought to acknowledge in a very big way,” Adewusi said.
He maintained that the current students were the major beneficiaries of the reunion and development initiatives being undertaken by the alumni.
“Whatever that is happening here today will have impact on these children we are all seeing here today,” he added.
Adewusi challenged the students to take their education seriously, set clear goals and avoid indiscipline, urging them to recognise that their present choices would determine their future.
He asked the students to consider their ambitions and what they hoped to achieve through their education, encouraging them to pursue academic excellence rather than engage in truancy.
The Deputy Governor also urged successful alumni to support former students who had completed their education but remained unemployed, saying the association could play a significant role in helping them secure meaningful employment.
He further revealed that he had discussed the school’s pressing challenges with the principal, including inadequate teaching personnel and declining student enrolment, assuring that the concerns would receive attention.
